The Penang state government and Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) will join forces to beef up the country’s tourism competitiveness to make Malaysia a destination of choice in the region.

Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy (Petace), Yeoh Soon Hin said both Penang and Langkawi were among the tourism hotspots with the former being steeped in cultural heritage and the latter offering pristine nature and splendid beach activities.

“If we work with the other states and entice travellers to visit other Malaysian destinations, we will see the traveller’s expenditure and spending being retained within Malaysia, which will have economic effects on our tourism ecosystem and local communities.

“People always see Penang and Langkawi as competitors, which in reality, are a perfect duo that complement each other to make a complete package,” he said in a statement here today. Yeoh said Penang and Lada had principally agreed to establish a joint working committee for cross-promotion, specifically on the Unesco listings, namely, the Langkawi Unesco Global Geopark and Penang Hill Unesco Biosphere Reserve.